Businesses, workers lament possible post office closure

By Brooke Crum

Published 11:42 am, Friday, May 17, 2013

Photo: Guiseppe Barranco, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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From left, Charles Lee, Traci Syas, and Debora Hunter picket in front of the Dowlen Road Post Office on Thursday. Along with about 15 others, the group of postal employees waived signs towards traffic and got signatures from people dropping off mail.
Photo taken Thursday, March 16, 2013
Guiseppe Barranco/The Enterprise less

From left, Charles Lee, Traci Syas, and Debora Hunter picket in front of the Dowlen Road Post Office on Thursday. Along with about 15 others, the group of postal employees waived signs towards traffic and got ... more

Photo: Guiseppe Barranco, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Kevin Cahill signs a petition against moving the Postal Service's processing and distribution center on Walden Road to Houston. Peggy Williams, a Walden Road Postal employee, is also pictured. Around 20 Postal workers picketed at the Dowlen Road Post Office on Thursday.
Photo taken Thursday, March 16, 2013
Guiseppe Barranco/The Enterprise less

Kevin Cahill signs a petition against moving the Postal Service's processing and distribution center on Walden Road to Houston. Peggy Williams, a Walden Road Postal employee, is also pictured. Around 20 Postal ... more

Photo: Guiseppe Barranco, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

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Marina Nichols-Mendoza pickets in front of the Dowlen Road Post Office on Thursday. Along with about a dozen others, the group of postal employees waived signs towards traffic and got signatures from people dropping off mail.
Photo taken Thursday, March 16, 2013
Guiseppe Barranco/The Enterprise less

Marina Nichols-Mendoza pickets in front of the Dowlen Road Post Office on Thursday. Along with about a dozen others, the group of postal employees waived signs towards traffic and got signatures from people ... more

Photo: Guiseppe Barranco, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER

Image 4 of 4

A group of postal workers, largely from the Walden Road center, picket in front of the Dowlen Road Post Office on Thursday. Along with about a dozen others, the group of postal employees waived signs towards traffic and got signatures from people dropping off mail.
Photo taken Thursday, March 16, 2013
Guiseppe Barranco/The Enterprise less

A group of postal workers, largely from the Walden Road center, picket in front of the Dowlen Road Post Office on Thursday. Along with about a dozen others, the group of postal employees waived signs towards ... more

Right now, the USPS is considering moving those operations to Houston to cut costs. The move could save the post office $5.8 million a year, according to a study. Thirty-one people could lose their jobs.

If the Walden Road center shuts down, first-class mail in Beaumont will take two to three days to reach its recipient, and overnight mail will need to be dropped off 12 hours earlier - before noon, said William Mitchell, USPS Houston district manager, at a town hall meeting Thursday night in the MCM Elegante Hotel.

This is not the only consolidation plan in place across the country. The postal service has adapted many operations in recent years to try to keep from losing money.

Engle wants to prevent his employees, some of whom live out of state, from losing money, too. He wants to be able to mail them their paychecks on time, but he won't be able to do that if the USPS goes forward with its plans.

At the meeting, Engle asked Mitchell if his business would have to adapt to use the postal service. "Yes," Mitchell said.